Monday, February 2, 2009

Broken Windows?

Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it's unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside.

Intervening early in the cycle can prevent more serious crimes. While some dispute Broken Windows, many, such as Chief Bratton (Los Angeles) and Commissioner Kelly (New York), remain strong proponents. Their policing strategies reflect this. In particular, I’d like to draw your attention to Commissioner Kelly’s recent editorial in the New York Post:

Crime in New York began to fall under Mayor David Dinkins and continued to drop under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani - to the point that in 2002 many thought it had nowhere to go but up. Instead, under Mayor Bloomberg, new record lows were posted, year after year: Crime fell nearly 30 percent from 2001 to 2008, while quality of life improved (…) How did it happen? The NYPD focused on low-level crime as never before. It deployed officers in large, concentrated numbers in precisely-defined zones where spikes in violent crime occurred.

Like any strategy, Broken Windows isn’t a stand-alone panacea. It’s meant to be used in coordination with other proven and effective strategies, such as CompStat, Community Policing and effective social service delivery (i.e. the CJC, modeled after New York's Red Hook Community Justice Center).But it can be successful. We need look no further than our own Tenderloin. Just last week, in the Examiner, Captain Gary Jimenez explained how, along with community policing, increased policing presence and quality-of-life enforcement has been critical to reducing violence in the Tenderloin:

Jimenez also attributed some of the success to the citywide “zone” strategy, where the police presence is concentrated in San Francisco’s most violent neighborhood. Tenderloin officers have also cracked down on quality-of-life offenses, increasing their narcotics arrests by 22 percent from 2007 to 2008 and disorderly conduct arrests by nearly 184 percent.

I, for one, believe that Broken Windows can be an effective strategy. But what's better than fixing broken windows is working together to prevent them from being broken in the first place. Indeed, not having to fix them should be the measure of success to which we aspire.

About This Blog

This blog is managed by the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. It draws together reports and updates from the City’s many public safety partners. This includes weekly updates from the SFPD’s 10 district station Captains. These reports summarize activity in each district and explain how each district Captain is deploying his or her officers in response. On a more macro level, we will be providing updates on larger strategies and policy initiatives involving the City’s many public safety partners. Police-related information is drawn from publicly available sources.

Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice

The Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice promotes stronger, safer and healthier communities by bringing people together to collectively address local public safety needs. We accomplish this goal through partnering with public safety agencies and community based organizations, as well as federal and state funding bodies to develop strategies and shape policies affecting public safety.

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